Lainey Wilson Owns The Night At The 2023 CMT Music Awards
“It is so wild,” Wilson exclaimed from the stage.
Lainey Wilson; Photos by Getty Images for CMT
Lainey Wilson owned the night at the 2023 CMT Music Awards where she took home two trophies and performed her chart-topping hit, “Heart Like A Truck.”
The country superstar earned one of the first belt buckles of the night when she took home the award for Collaborative Video of the Year for “wait in the truck” with HARDY.
Later in the evening, Wilson’s “Heart Like A Truck” music video was crowned Female Video Of The Year, beating out Carly Pearce (“What He Didn’t Do”), Carrie Underwood (“Ghost Story”), Gabby Barrett (“Pick Me Up”), Kelsea Ballerini (“HEARTFIRST”), Maren Morris (“Humble Quest”) and Miranda Lambert (“Actin’ Up”).
“My heart is about to beat right out my chest, I’ll be honest with y’all,” she began. “This song right here is about finding freedom and strength, it’s about not being afraid of the scratches and the dents and the bumps along the way. We all got a story to tell y’all, and I’m so proud of this music video. It was filmed, produced, written, and directed by all women. Can I get a come on, now?”
She went on to share a heartfelt thank you to those who helped her along the way.
“It is so wild and I just wanna say, first of all, thank you Jesus for this opportunity, and I wanna say thank you CMT for literally believing in me before a lot of folks did. But I also wanna say thank you so much to the fans. I feel like I’m watching my dreams come true right before my eyes, truly, y’all. This is for y’all. I love y’all so much. Thank you. God bless y’all.”
During the show, she had a chance to showcase her vocal talents with a performance of the song.
Wilson, who co-wrote “Heart Like a Truck” alongside Trannie Anderson and Dallas Wilson, released the track in May of 2022.
“This is a song about finding freedom in strength, and not being afraid of your scars and bruises. A truck that has hit a few bumps and earned a few scratches has proved itself and its tenacity…the shiny one on the lot can’t say that,” Lainey previously explained.
The song’s clever lyrics compare a heart to a truck and acknowledge that it’s okay to experience heartache. Through it all, the most important thing to remember is to keep going.
“I got a heart like a truck/ It’s been drug through the mud/ Runs on dreams and gasoline/ And that old highway holds the key/ It’s got a lead foot down when it’s leavin’/ Lord knows it’s taken a hell of a beatin’/ A little bit of love is all that it’s needin’/ But it’s good as it is tough/ I got a heart like a truck,” Wilson sings on the chorus.
The tune appears on Wilson’s sophomore project, Bell Bottom Country, which arrived on October 28 via BBR Music Group/Broken Bow Records. The album features 14 tracks, including “Heart Like A Truck,” “Watermelon Moonshine,” and “Live Off.”
Co-hosted by Kane Brown and Kelsea Ballerini, the 2023 CMT Music Awards featured performances from Blake Shelton, Carly Pearce, Carrie Underwood, Cody Johnson, Jelly Roll, Keith Urban, Kelsea Ballerini, Lainey Wilson, and Tyler Hubbard.
Additionally, the show included one-of-a-kind collaborations, including a 10th anniversary of CMT Next Women of Country celebration featuring Alanis Morissette with Lainey Wilson, Ingrid Andress, Madeline Edwards, and Morgan Wade. Gwen Stefani and Carly Pearce joined forces for a special collaboration, while Kane Brown and Katelyn Brown teamed up for the television premiere of their chart-topping duet, “Thank God.”
The Black Crowes and Darius Rucker delivered a first-time collaboration of “She Talks To Angels,” and Wynonna Judd and Ashley McBryde will also take the stage together.
The show also included a tribute to Stevie Ray Vaughan from Gary Clark, Jr. and a Lynyrd Skynyrd tribute from Billy Gibbons, Chuck Leavell, Cody Johnson, Paul Rodgers, Slash & Warren Haynes and LeAnn Rimes & Wynonna Judd as honorary “Honkettes.”
Rising stars Avery Anna, Chapel Hart, Jackson Dean, Lily Rose, Nate Smith, and Megan Moroney made their CMT Music Awards performance debut on the Ram Trucks Side Stage.
Carly Pearce, Carrie Underwood, Charles Esten, Dixie D’Amelio, Dustin Lynch, HARDY, Ian Bohen + Jen Landon (Yellowstone), Jon Pardi, LeAnn Rimes, Madison Bailey (Outer Banks), Max Thieriot (Fire Country), Megan Thee Stallion, Noah Schnapp (Stranger Things), Parker McCollum, Peter Frampton, Shania Twain, Steve Howey (True Lies) and Travis Kelce appeared as presenters.
The coveted awards show aired live from the Moody Center in Austin, Texas on Sunday, April 2 at 8/7c on CBS. It was also available to stream live and on-demand via Paramount+.
Lauren Jo Black is a longtime country music journalist, editor, host, and media personality whose work has helped shape the conversation around country music for nearly two decades. As the current Editor-in-Chief of Country Now, she has become one of the genre’s most respected voices, interviewing hundreds of country music’s biggest stars, including Dolly Parton, Garth Brooks, Reba McEntire, Shania Twain, Randy Travis, Luke Bryan, Carrie Underwood, Blake Shelton, Luke Combs, and countless others. Over the course of her career, Black’s written work and interviews have reached billions of country music fans worldwide. A 2009 graduate of the University of Central Florida, Black began her career by founding Country Music Is Love, one of country music’s earliest independent digital publications, which she later sold to a major record label in 2015 before it was rebranded as Sounds Like Nashville. She then served as the publication’s Editor-in-Chief for more than two years. Her work has also appeared in Forbes, and she previously served as the Country Music Expert for Answers.com. Widely recognized for her expertise, Black has appeared as a featured guest on The Bobby Bones Show, BobbyCast, and Scripps News Morning Rush, providing insight on country music’s biggest moments. She has also hosted Country Now Live, a concert series featuring performances from artists including Lady A, Dierks Bentley, Riley Green, Jordan Davis, Dustin Lynch, Gabby Barrett, Brett Young, Jon Pardi, Kip Moore, Chris Young, and more. The series has welcomed thousands of fans in person while reaching millions more online. In addition, she hosted Connect With Country Now, a weekly interview series featuring conversations with rising country stars. Throughout her career, Black has earned a reputation for discovering and championing artists long before they become household names. She has covered Luke Bryan since the early days of his career, beginning when he was writing songs for other artists, including Billy Currington’s No. 1 hit “Good Directions,” before stepping into the spotlight with his debut single, “All My Friends Say” and eventually becoming one of biggest names in music. She also gave Megan Moroney her first opportunity to walk a major red carpet as Country Now’s official guest correspondent at the 2022 CMA Awards. An interview she conducted in 2018 for Forbes.com with Luke Combs that inspired his multi-week No. 1 hit, “Doin’ This.” She has also hosted stages at CMA Fest, moderated an industry panel at Country Radio Seminar, and helped lead important conversations about the evolving landscape of country music media. Beyond journalism, Black has also used her platform to support charitable causes and highlight organizations making an impact. Through Country Now Live, she has helped raise awareness and support for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, while also advocating for animal rescue through Country Now’s Pupdate series, spotlighting organizations including MuttNation Foundation, Wags & Walks, and Proverbs 12:10 Animal Rescue. Black has been recognized as one of Country Aircheck’s Women of Influence and received the 2012 Rising Star Award from the University of Central Florida. She is a longtime member of both the Country Music Association (CMA) and the Academy of Country Music (ACM). After nearly 20 years covering country music, Lauren Jo Black has spent her career telling the stories behind the artists, songs, and moments that have shaped the genre. Her first-ever book, Country Music Forever: An A-to-Z Celebration of Icons, Songs and Stories, brings that same passion and firsthand knowledge to the page, celebrating not only the legendary artists and timeless songs that have become the soundtrack to generations of fans, but also the places, traditions, and cultural moments that have made country music one of the most beloved genres around the world.
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